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Mar 2022

Last Updated: 18/03/2022

Transport

Early morning train from Harrogate to Leeds cancelled

by Thomas Barrett

| 18 Mar, 2022

The move will affect Harrogate commuters that want to arrive early in Leeds and London. Rail campaigner Brian Dunsby calls the move 'disgraceful' and urges Northern to reconsider.

Northern is to cancel the 6.07am train service from Harrogate to Leeds due to declining passenger numbers since the pandemic began.

The 6.07am, which is the first service of the day, arrives at Leeds Station at 6.44am. It is also used by business travellers to get to London King's Cross before 9am.

The change will come into effect from May 15.

A Northern/LNER service, which goes to London via York and leaves Harrogate at 6.41am and arrives at King's Cross at 9.36am, will remain on the timetable.

There is a direct LNER train from Harrogate to London at 7.36am but it doesn't arrive in the capital until 10.32am.

LNER has delayed plans to introduce an earlier direct service that leaves Harrogate at 6.35am due to rolling stock issues.

'We need it'

With the 6.07am service withdrawn, it means the earliest Harrogate commuters will be able to get into Leeds by train from Monday to Friday will be the 6.56 train, which arrives at 7.28am.

Brian Dunsby, of Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said passenger numbers were back to around 80% of pre-pandemic levels and the early service was needed by commuters.

He called the move by Northern 'disgraceful' and urged the state-owned operator to reconsider.

He said:

"The service is particularly important for anyone going down to London for a 9am start.

"They could cancel the 6.56am or the 7.14am instead. That 6.07 is very important. It's the first train of the day and we need it."

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A spokesperson for Northern said:

“We fully understand the concerns of those using our trains in West Yorkshire and we are doing all we can to provide the best possible service for our customers who are very much at the heart of everything we do.”

“We’re seeing fewer commuters travelling each day, and people travelling at different times of the week and for different reasons. We’ve made decisions about our timetables based on the levels of resource we have available and prioritising the routes with the highest customer demand, and which support the region’s economic growth.

"The timetables currently in place will broadly continue with some amendments from May 2022 and into the summer."

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Early morning train from Harrogate to Leeds cancelled

'We need it'

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